Glove Review: Hayabusa Tokushu

Finally got a review of the Tokushu gloves up! The MMA gloves to follow.

Introduction

If you've been following the latest developments from Hayabusa, you'd be well aware of their new Tokushu series that refreshes their glove line, quoting university research to back up their latest technological advances. Technical jargon aside, how does it fare from a layman's point of view? Let's find out!

At first glance, the Tokushu gloves come in an amazing 10 sets of colourways! How's that for customisation! This is one of the most varied offering I've seen to date, Thai brands aside. However, these colourways are linked to their respective glove weights, with each weight getting one primary colour paired with a secondary colour of either black or white, except for the 10oz gloves which features two possible primary colour options.

It's a real pity, as I'd love to get the black/crimson combination offered with the 10oz gloves, but stayed with a 140z for the purposes of this review. For the 14oz, the primary colour is what Hayabusa calls Steel Blue, which essentially looks like some sort of bluish gray to me.

Colour distribution aside, the gloves feature a printed Hayabusa's word logo running from the knuckle area to the fingers. Odd position seeing as how this area can receive a lot of wear, but so far I've yet to see any fading on my gloves. There's also a smaller logo with the glove weight at the bottom of the inside palm. It's a nice touch to enable quick identification if you have a number of gloves.

Beyond that, there's also the Hayabusa kanji word embossed on the outside strap and a another word logo on the rubber tab of the inside strap. Of the entire glove so far, it's only the kanji word that shows any real signs of wear. The white painted over the character has rubbed off a bit, revealing a small speck of black and some darkening. More of it will probably rub off in time.

Overall, the two-toned design of the gloves brings a sharp and distinct look to the gloves, and the unusual colour options will be sure to delight those who want something different.

Form & Fit

The gloves run the range from 10oz to 16oz, though I can't comment on the size and compartment differences since I only have one pair. For the 14oz that I have though, the compartment fits quite snugly for my hands, with the more room at the knuckle area but gradually tapering off, getting slightly cramped at the fingers. This means that there's room for handwraps while still keeping the glove snug even without.

The inner lining features Hayabusa's Ecta technology, which is basically some fancy bamboo lining with anti-fungal and thermal regulation properties. Mumbo-jumbo aside, the lining is soft and comfortable, but has a textured surface to provide some degree of grip that helps minimise shifting. Compared to the original Hayabusa gloves, the material here has somewhat more traction.

One of the things I loved about the original gloves was the dual strap system, and the Tokushu gloves see a reincarnation of that. Taking on the Dual X label now, the strap doesn't seem all that different from the previous iteration. It does have one minor but useful change though - the inner strap now sports a rubber tab that is ribbed on the underside. This makes it immensely easier to undo the inner strap, even with gloved hands. Regardless, the dual strap system allows for a super tight fit, though you might want to keep the inner strap on the looser side if you don't want to run the hassle of undoing both straps when switching in and out of gloves during training.

The engineered Vylar leather and Deltra EG foam is extremely pliable out of the bag, and requires no breaking in at all. Compared to the original version which had a much stiffer foam, the Tokushu gloves are a big improvement.

Functionality

Hayabusa claims that its new Deltra EG foam core does not degrade or bottom out with use. While I would have to put the gloves through months of testing to make any decent comment on this, the core does seem to hold its shape pretty well despite being soft and springy. Those who complained about the the stiffness of the original gloves will be delighted to find that these are leaps and bounds better than the former.

In terms of padwork and bagwork, the gloves perform excellently. Most of the shock is absorbed, but I can still feel the point of impact on my knuckles, allowing me to correct for poor technique. Thanks to the dual strap system, there is barely any shifting of the gloves due to the snug fit.

For sparring, the gloves work just as well in protecting both partner and user. The profile of the glove is slightly rounder than the original version, but still fairly compact. As a multi-purpose glove, these will do just fine. However, these are designed more for boxing than Muay Thai, and the gloves do not open much for clinch work.

One other notable feature is the mesh lining at the inside palm area of the glove. Instead of leather with breathing holes, a large section is replaced with mesh, allowing for greater breathability. Great for those who find their hands getting stuffy in normal gloves.

Construction for the gloves are top-notch. The stitches are all in place and the general feel of the product is just one of quality.

Conclusion

The new Tokushu gloves are a great quality product, although the price may not be for everyone. Regardless, if you have the cash to spare, this might be worth considering on your shopping list.

have you used the older hayabusa 10oz bag gloves? would you say those, or these would be better for bag/mitt work

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Yes, I have the older 10oz. The foam is more compact and stiff, which some might prefer for bagwork. The new gloves definitely feel better, but if you're on a budget and can get the older ones at a good price, they are still pretty good. If you wanted a sparring or multi-purpose glove however, then it's the new one for sure.

Yes, I have the older 10oz. The foam is more compact and stiff, which some might prefer for bagwork. The new gloves definitely feel better, but if you're on a budget and can get the older ones at a good price, they are still pretty good. If you wanted a sparring or multi-purpose glove however, then it's the new one for sure.

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thanks, im looking for a glove to only use on the bag/pads so ill probably just get the busa 10oz if i can find them at a good price. im between those, the rival elite bag gloves, and fairtex bgl7 laceups in 12oz or something.

ive been using my 12oz boons on the bag, but they feel too soft and been hurting my hands using them recently. wrist support is great, but padding seems too thin and squishy for bag work. im afraid the 10oz hayabusas wont be protective enough lol.

thanks, im looking for a glove to only use on the bag/pads so ill probably just get the busa 10oz if i can find them at a good price. im between those, the rival elite bag gloves, and fairtex bgl7 laceups in 12oz or something.

ive been using my 12oz boons on the bag, but they feel too soft and been hurting my hands using them recently. wrist support is great, but padding seems too thin and squishy for bag work. im afraid the 10oz hayabusas wont be protective enough lol.

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Mmm, I haven't tried the other gloves. You might wanna try asking some of the other guys, Clamp might be able to give some perspective.

thanks, im looking for a glove to only use on the bag/pads so ill probably just get the busa 10oz if i can find them at a good price. im between those, the rival elite bag gloves, and fairtex bgl7 laceups in 12oz or something.

ive been using my 12oz boons on the bag, but they feel too soft and been hurting my hands using them recently. wrist support is great, but padding seems too thin and squishy for bag work. im afraid the 10oz hayabusas wont be protective enough lol.

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My 12oz Twins have held up for going on 3 years and I have used them on the pads/bag 3-5 days a week religiously. Great gloves, no wrist trouble or knuckle pain ever! They have just started deteriorating and I think I'm going to purchase another pair but maybe this time a custom color (they are the tattoo design ones) maybe in yellow with black designs.

How have these gloves been holding up? How often do you use them? A co-worker of mine is interested in them I told him I would find out how they hold up. Thanks

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Ermmm.. I have been using Tokushu 16oz gloves for a few months now, 5-6 days a week. They are holding up great. But the stitching is not perfect. You can find some loosened threads on the velcro area. For me it's no big deal. They won't completely come out any time soon. The padding is great. I have the 16oz white gloves. If i were you i'd advise your friend to get black ones. The white ones look great and the white leather holds up great in terms of color. But the problem is the palm (made of mesh) It gets dirty really quick. After one month of heavy use on the pad/bag the white mesh became like yellow. And you can't clean/wash them. So they are permanently dirty. I wish i bought the black ones. Anyway, the glove is great and very comfortable. Hope this helps.